Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela (2013)

In spite of the not-so-appealing formula music and over the top cinematography, the controversy clad 'Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ramleela' was one of the most anticipated movies this year, courtesy SLB. The opening scene has multiple common men shooting bullets and throwing glass bottles with close precision and accuracy. The grand entry of the hero himself, taking a selfie on a motor bike would have been mesmerizing had it been the 1980s. The overly tanned and oiled up body of Mr. Singh and the dhoti tied up as low as humanly possible attracts the attention of very many local women in the movie and a few watching it. Deepika is stunning as Leela, though. But the essence of the subtle yet intense romance of the great work by Shakespeare is completely lost in this very Indian rendition of the same. Mr Bhansali has reduced it to what we as an audience want, colourful dance numbers, extreme drama and a sexual reference in every other scene. Music is no charm either. With irrelevant songs at irrelevant junctions in the film, the audience is bound to get restless. There was a point in the first half when we became desperate for the intermission, it came some 20 minutes later. The second half is no better. With stretchy sequences, pure masala bollywood dialogues, more useless songs, pointless silhouettes and closeups and typical SLB elements at every step, the movie comes to a close. Supriya Pathak's, Richa Chadda's, and Barkha Bisht's performances are the only high for the movie. All in all the movie makes us feel used and violated. The makers of the film try to cash in on their name, legacy and the Indian viewers' mentality and give us a piece of cinema decorated with warm colours and excessive drama. The sad part is they will succeed in their propaganda with critics like Taran Adarsh and Mina Iyer eulogizing every frame. Sad.